


Twelve Missing Sisters

by ShadedCat



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - No Ultimate Talents, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Attempted Murder, Bigotry & Prejudice, Bittersweet Ending, Blood and Gore, Chauvinism, Conspiracy, Crimes & Criminals, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Detectives, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, In Media Res, Kidnapping, M/M, Major Character Injury, Moral Ambiguity, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, One-Sided Relationship, Organized Crime, Out of Character, Shock & Awe, Slow Build, Smoking, Suicide, Torture, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-01-18 14:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12389526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadedCat/pseuds/ShadedCat
Summary: Shuichi Saihara; Small time Private Detectives who works small jobs for close friends. He's no Kyoko Kirigiri, but he gets the job done, and finds out the truth, whether you're an average joe or a yakuza boss. In the grandscheme of things however, he's a nobody milling around helping somebodies.Amami Rantaro; World Class Travelor, Entrepreneur, Tv Personality, and Japan's most well known bachelor. He's on a peronsal quest to locate all of his lost sisters, and there's only one left. He was last seen publicly four weeks ago, setting off with his camera crew to explore islands in Indonesia before going missing. His crew is fine, but he was nowhere to be found.Kaede Akamatsu; World Class Painist, Composer, and alumni of the famed Hope Peak's academy. She last heard of Rantaro two weeks ago, before she rescieved the worst news of her life and came to the only person who could handle this case; Shuichi Saihara.





	1. The Fainting Client

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KlonoaDreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlonoaDreams/gifts).



The office of one Shuichi Saihara, Private Detective, could be overlooked in a very major sense. Though being only twenty-three and having his own office could be consider prestigious, he felt any other than such. The room was partitioned by one half wall and another full wall, one room being Shuichi’s own room with a small futon and table, the other being his actual office, and the third and largest room being a sort of pseudo-waiting room/secretary’s office…

The last bit being a running joke that Shuichi had with an associated of his, considering that he had jokingly offered his services as one.

Shuichi’s office however was bare in comparison. He himself sat in a desk in the near center of the room, with a window off to the side, large enough against the wall to give him light, but small enough that it didn’t give him a place to see him himself in view. A gray wall coupled with a single dark wood bookcase filled with novels and old case files. Another wall had a small cabinet sitting in front with a radio emitting news.

“—of yet, there is still no mention on where famed traveler, Rantaro Amami, has disappeared too. Now making it two weeks after his boat was found near an Indonesia coastal town. However…” The radio personality continued to drone on about the disappearance of Rantaro Amami, a modern explore, in tandem with the pouring of heavy rain. A downpour had befallen the city, and was hitting Shuichi’s area the worst.

Shuichi didn’t really pay attention to either the radio announcement nor the rain, instead his mind was focusing on his laptop screen. A report in regards of background checks on people for a small local business, a subsidiary of the Togami corporation.

The “click-clacking” of his fingers on the keys foretelling that whatever he was typing, it was taking his entire focus on. So focused, that Shuichi didn’t hear the new sound of his door being knocked on until the twelfth knock. At which point, he had wanted to stretch his shoulders before hearing the knock on his door.

He quickly pressed the button on his desk to unlatch the door and allowed it to be opened by… famous Pianist Kaede Akamatsu?! Shuichi nearly fell out of his chair from pure shock at seeing the classical musician walk into his office; dripping wet, shivering, and wearing clothes that he wouldn’t associate with a high-class musician, but it was no doubt Kaede Akamatsu.

He has heard of her at least, he quite fond of classical music as opposed to pop songs and hard rock beats. Shuichi knew that the pianist was of a sophisticated crowd, high society gatherings and galas always asking for her performance; the Togami Corporation, Team Danganronpa, even Hope’s Peak Academy. The first and third being direct correlation with each other considering that the Togami Corporation’s head was an alumni of Hope Peak’s academy.

However, this begged the question; what was such a person doing in a rather obscure private detective’s office? It could not simply just be for investigation, if so why had Miss Akamatsu not gone to the famous Kirigiri Detective agency or even gone to the Detective Library! Shuichi himself wasn’t considered skilled enough to join, so he was not part of that gathering. Miss Akamatsu and Shuichi have never met before today, so there was no way this could have been a social gathering. Perhaps this was a case of mistaken identity or her being lost, she had simply ended up at the wrong room in the building; there were other business aside from his in the complex.

Shuichi however could tell by the pensive look on the pianist’s face that this was not a case of being lost for the pianist, that was the face of someone who had business with himself. Had someone he had done work for had some sort of connection with her? Shuichi knew he had no sort of high profile clients, at best it was middle level investigation of spousal affairs, location of missing children, or fraud. He’s done work for the police, but it was low profile cases, nothing major.

“Mister Saihara?” the Painist’s voice was chime like, light and soft. She was wearing a pink hooded sweatshirt and jeans however, no doubt to keep her identity hard to pin point in the event of journalists and other prying eyes.

“Ah, y-yes.” Shuichi coughed in an effort to make his voice sound less… Pitched than normal. First impression are everything after all, especially if the person in front of him had the potential of a job for him. “Yes, I am Shuichi Saihara. Would it be safe to assume that you are Kaede Akamatsu, the pianist?” A bashful color framed Miss Akamatsu’s face as she took the hood off her head. Wetted light blond hair was clipped down by silver music notes, all except a few strands which stood atop her like an antenna despite their apparent wetness. Even though she tried to smother it down with her hand, it proved to be a fruitless endeavor.

Shuichi in this moment was quite glad he kept his hat on.

The door shut behind Miss Akatamatsu before Shuichi lead her through the glass door into his office. He seated her down before asking if she wanted tea. She nodded mutely before verbally apologizing for getting his office and chair wet. He told her to not worry about it before Shuichi excused himself into his room, keeping the view of his bed out Miss Akamatsu’s by opening the door as little as possible. He quickly brewed up a quick pot of tea and located a small towel before bringing them both back into the office.

She spent some time trying to dry herself and in an effort to wait until the tea cooled enough for her to drink. Once both her hair and face were drier than before, her hands grabbed the tea cup and smiled as warmth radiated from it. When she drank it, a bit of color livened her pale features.

“Do you have a maid here that brewed the tea?” Miss Akamatsu joked. Shuichi colored a little but kept his composure by drinking the tea. “It is quite well done.”

“Uh, no. I did this myself.” A look of surprise crossed Miss Akamatsu face before it relaxed and she put her cup down, drained. Shuichi asked if she wanted another, but she waved her hand.

“N-No, I’m fine now, better in fact than in a long time.” A pained look crossed Miss Akamatsu’s face before Shuichi put down his cup.

“May I ask first how you’ve heard of me Miss Akamatsu?” Shuichi asked.

“Please call me Kaede, Miss Akamtsu is my mother, Mister Saihara.”

“Understandable Miss Kaede.”

“Then may I call you Shuichi.” The Detective nearly choked on his tea but easily smothered it down when he saw the smile that Kaede gave him showed no sort of ill intent. No one, well no woman, has ever had such an familiar tone with him.

“I-If that pleases you Miss Kaede,” Shuichi responded as he tried to bat away feelings of awkwardness at being called his first name. “Now I must ask, how have you heard of my office?” Kaede smiled nervously.

“Did you ever work for a Mister Otogawa?”

 “I assume when you say Mister Otogawa, you mean Ryo Otogawa, the popstar Sayaka Maizono’s manager.” Shuichi knew what she was talking about. A while ago he was contacted by the producer of the Idol group Sayaka Maizono was a part of, and was asked to look into several suspicious letters that were sent to the group. The conclusion of this investigation lead Shuichi to finding a small collection of fans plotting to bomb an event held by the idol group, a short call to the manager proved to be a swift end to the case. Last he heard, all the members were facing serious chargers of both unlawful possions of arms and conspiracy. 

“Yes. He is a known associated of my manager, and he referred me to you. He said you had a certain preference for subtly.” Shuichi nodded slowly. “The Kirigiri Detective Agency tend to have a bit more direct in terms of investigation.”

“It is hard to remain inconspicuous in investigations when you’re branded…” Shuichin noted. Miss Akamatsu nodded and Shuichi began to understand what sort of reason why she came to him. Whatever work she had, she did not want the media to know about the nature of the case. Shuichi knew these cases tended to be about delicate matters, or matters about the private life that shouldn’t be known. Kaede however seemed to not be the type to do such acts, but then again Shuichi didn’t know that a sex dungeon of that size could be constructed without the wife knowing her husband’s… “hobbies”.

“I take it you wish this case to be handled with a certain amount of… Delicacy?” Shuichi offered, to which Kaede nodded her head. “You have my utmost confidentiality that the information of your cases will not be divulged from my mouth.” A look of relief passed Kaede’s face and Shuichi could see that her shoulders visibly relaxed.

“I’m here about a missing person.”

“Who?” Shuichi was pouring a cup of tea for himself.

“My ex-boyfrined, Rantaro Amami.” Shuichi nearly dropped the tea kettle and his cup at the shocking information. Rantaro Amami, a contemporary explorer, had a relationship with the pianist; such thing was certainly not in any tabloid news that he’s had to unfortunately read.

“I can understand your shock.” Kaede’s voice pulled him out of his pondering and he saw the woman have a slight smile on her face. “We dated back in high school before either of us became, well, us. However, that relationship… Didn’t last.” There was some sort of history that came from pause in Keade’s sentence that Shuichi wouldn’t pry into yet.

“I assume you two however did keep in close contact despite the break up?” Shuichi reasoned. Kaede gave a nervous laugh.

“W-Well not really. Unless you count facebook and the occasional birth day message, we didn’t really “talk” much. I did go to a few gatherings where he was, but I was mostly there to be a performer.” Shuichi nodded along to Kaede’s explanation. She and Mister Amami weren’t “close-friends”, however they knew of each other through the years. However, why did she come to him to ask about his apparent loss of carbon foot print. The current media has speculated he was still travelling somewhere in the south pacific, his boat apparently found marooned near an island some weeks ago.

“He contacted me recently.” The look on Keade’s face made Shuichi reconsider whatever information the news had been spouting about Amami’s disappearance. It was a look of terrified fear. She brought a phone out from her pocket and played back a message.

“ _Kaede! Hey, I hope you remember me, you know, Rantaro Amami, your best friend since ever! I know we don’t really talk or anything anymore, but I just want you to know that any tabloids saying I’m missing aren’t true. I left my boat there, and using dad’s old boat so I could go a little incognito and… Well, look for Rinka! I have a feeling this time I’ll find her! If my mom calls you, please ignore her! I think she’s still thinking that we’re together. Bye!”_ The message cut and Shuichi could firmly say that the explorer’s personal boat marooned in the Philippines is no longer necessary evidence pertaining to this case.

“That was after they found his boat. I was about to panic after seeing the news, but he contacted me shortly after I learned.” A smile crossed Kaede’s face. “He’s always acted like that. Doing stuff without any care in the world, even if it seems really stupid, like looking for his lost sister…” She trailed off at the end before her eyes turned her hard and she pressed the next message. This one was dated a few days after the first.

_“Kaede! Oh my God, you’re not gonna believe this! I found her! I found Rinka! She’s alive, after all these years, she’s alive! She was in an orphanage in Brazil! She’s comatose, she almost didn’t recognize me when I saw her! But it’s really her! She has some stupid looking tattoos, but the birthmark on her neck is still there and still even stupider than I remembered! I’m bringing her home right now!”_ That message was dated a week after the first message. Meaning that in that week after locating Amami’s boat, the Explorer had made it from the Philippines to Brazil. Personally, Shuichi found that astounding. The next message would quash any sort of surprise and turn it into dread.

_“Kaede! I fucked! I really fucked up this time! Rinka, she—Oh God! I thought I finally found her! I should have known! Zzzt… Kidnapped, not lost! Now they have everyone! They have my family Kaede, all of them! Listen, don’t call me! Don’t call the police!”_ The phone was then thrown and sounded like it shattered as the message cut off in a crash. Shuichi felt his mouth go dry as Kaede’s face seem to grow equal in color.

“Th-There’s one more…” Kaede’s fingers mumbled flicked over her phone before going to one last message. This one came from a number that Shuichi recognized as being a common number for burner phones native to Japan.

_“Piano Freak! Don’t trust anyone! They have eyes everywhere! I can’t tell you over the phone! Don’t tell the police! Oh god, they’re using kids! Fucking killing kids! Rinka got away, find Rinka!”_ The message ended and Shuichi looked up Kaede. His eyes were wide as the words from the last message sunk in. Then before he could think, Shuichi’s hands grabbed the phone and quickly pulled the battery out and tossed it out the open window. The battery lost in the rain, hopefully for good.

_Using kids! Killing kids!_ He dropped the lifeless phone now, and his hands gripped the desk in an effort to steady himself from falling. Shuichi’s grip he had on his desk turned his knuckles white as he saw Kaede’s shoulders shake.

“P-Piano Freak is the nickname he used back in Middle school.” Shuichi noted silvery drops fall from the woman’s face as she gripped her tea cup, eyes downcast. “H-He still remembers that stupid nickname after all these years. I-Isn’t that funny?” Shuichi swallowed nervously before he was about to comfort the woman before the phone rang once more.

The room became deathly quiet as the phone continued to ring, not a one making a sound or noise as they saw the number come up on screen. “Redacted”, was what it was read. Kaede nearly scrambled to pick it up, but Shuichi held her back. His eyes wide and a finger to his lips, certain numbers could have their phone numbers be “redacted”, those with serious money and influence.

_Don’t pick it up._ He mouthed as he still held onto her. Eventually the phone stopped ringing and it clicked onto the automated voice message.

“Hi! This is Kaede Akamatsu! I’m not at the phone right now, probably either practicing or listing to music! Leave a message if you want me to contact you, kay?” The message clicked off, and it sounded much too chipper for what it heralded.

“Kaede Akamatsu, this is a direct message to you. If you attempt to investigate the nature of Rantaro Amami’s message, we will know. If you tell anyone about the message of Rantaro Amami, we will know. If you tell the police, the government, or the media, the public will never know. If you try to locate Rinka Amami, we will know. Any attempts at acting upon this information, and we will make sure you never see the light of day ever again.”

“We have power and influence beyond your comprehension. We will find you, we will find everyone close to you, and we will kill them. After everyone you know, everything you cherish is taken from you, and you feel the full brunt of despair, then will we finally kill you. This is not a warning, this a threat.”

The message ended and Kaede began to topple forward. Shuichi rushed to catch her, stopping her head from slamming into his desk. Gently as he could, he tried to keep her upright and felt her forehead. It was burning, no doubt the cumulated stress of the prior messages, the terrible weather, now this message from this mysterious number had been the final nail which was triggering a fever.

She began to sob and mumble incoherently as Shuichi made an executive decision. He carried her out of his office and into his room. Crying into his chest, her hands despite their delicate appearance, held fast and hard to the lapels of his shirt. He had to pry her fingers off his shirt before he began to rummage around his room.

A towel he ran in cold water was placed on her forehead as she lay with labored breathing on his bed. If it was a simple fevered headache, she would be fine in some time. If not… Well hopefully the hospitals were still safe to go too.

_“This is not a warning, this a threat”_. Shuichi grimaced at the nature of the message before standing and leaning out to stare at the pelting rain. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he noted there was a text from Kirumi.

_Cln?_ Short and succinct, just like the maid normally is, written in a way that wouldn’t require much time to compose a message. Shuichi quickly responded, fingers typing a quick response, though with more grammar.

_Yes, I would not mind having you clean. However, could you also bring some fever medicine?_ A short pause lead into to another message being sent by the maid.

_Y?_ Shuichi bit his lips as he wondered back to the words that Rantaro said. “Don’t trust anyone”, vague words, but dangerous in their own right. However, Shuichi trusted his judgement, and knew that Kirumi would be someone he could depend on.

_Client came in sick. Might have fever, please check on her?_

_Ok_. That short text was enough to relieve a bit of tension from Shuichi’s shoulders before the silence got to him. It felt stifling now in his office, more so that usual. The haunting message putting doubts in his mind he thought long ago he vanquished.

Out of habit more so out of need, he went to the cabinet where the radio still played, ironically it was playing Kaede Akamatsu’s rendition of Mozart’s Moonlight Sonata. Opening the cabinet, Shuichi found his gun harness. The Nambu M60 revolver resting snugly in the holster before Shuichi strapped it underneath his vest.

Shuichi pulled it out before checking it over. The cylinder was clear, the hammer oiled, and the barrel cleaned. It was still in the same condition when he first got it, even after he used. He loaded in five rounds just as there was a knock at the front door.

Shuichi knew it was Kirumi, and answered it, though his hand drifted to the side of his belt out of caution. He tried not look relieved once he saw the familiar prim and proper Victorian-era dressed maid starring at him with broom in hand.

"Any particular reason for why your hand is resting on your firearm, Shuichi-sama?" Kirumi's voice was neutral despite the apparent threat Shuichi possessed with his hand on the revolver. Visibly relaxing, Shuichi opened the door wider to allow the maid inside. She briskly walked in, shedding off her coat and placing it on the rack alongside Kaede’s own. She raised an eyebrow at the addition before the realization set in.

“Ah yes, you’re client.” Shuichi nodded at Kirumi’s astute assumption.

“She might be staying here for the perceivable future,” Shuichi explained. “Her case is… Serious.” Kirumi went to voice her widely held cautions about takings jobs like these, but Shuichi raised a hand to stop her. “I understand that I should prioritize my safety, however I am still a detective. I make it a point to investigate the truth, whether it wants me too or not.”

“I cannot tell if you like danger, or that danger happens to like you,” Kirumi sighed sadly. A small smile came upon Shuichi’s face.

“Danger and I happen to cross into each other time to time,” he laughed tonelessly. A forlorn look overcame Kirumi’s normally stoic features before she breathed in and her face returned to its professionalism. “Though secrecy is paramount, both for my client’s safety as well as my own. It’s quite dangerous.”

“More dangerous than the job that my master requested from you?” Kirumi’s voice was laced with a tinge of shock, however her slightly widened eyes served to tell Shuichi all he needed to know.

“If more so… Speaking of your current masters, how are they? I had been sent a card, but not an invitation to their wedding?”

“Would you have even shown if they had?”

“Perhaps.” Kirumi chuckled at Shuichi’s answer.

"Well, Yakuza certainly don’t like those who tend to investigate others for their living, even if they did locate the wife of their Oyabum. Both the Master and Mistress are fine, currently enjoying their honeymoon in Hawaii."

"For business or pleasure?" An inquisitive look overcame Shuichi's features, knowing exactly why the two were in Hawaii.

"Why Shuichi, you know I would never betray my master's confidentiality. I also know that Master Kuzuryu wouldn’t want **your** life to be in danger from any of his enemies." Shuichi tried to be not unnerved by the maid's icy smile, however there is a reason maid’s in the books he read tended to be under the most scrutinizing of gazes.

Kirumi was no exception to this rule, especially with the wide array of clientele she has serviced.

The rain grew even louder following the accompanying silence, to which avoid such prolonged silence, Kirumi set herself to work to "straighten up" an already pristine office. Of all her clients, Shuichi Saihara kept his spaces the cleanest.

It wasn't until she entered his own personal room did Kirumi find the reason for the odd request of fever medication. She quickly slipped back into his office with wide eyes and a pale face of shock.

"Shuichi-sama, isn't that Kaede Akamatsu asleep in your bed? What is the Pianist doing in here?" Shuichi looked up from his pipe before nodding. "Is she the--"

"Client? Yes. And I'd appreciate it if you do not disclose this information with anyone. When I say the severity of the case if high, I mean Prime Minister level conspiracy.” The hushed tone in Shuichi's voice was more than enough to convince the maid, as well as make her back stiffen slightly. She bowed respectfully to Shuichi before doing her maid duties of cleaning before going back to the troubled looking pianist.

Kirumi's face narrowed in concertation as she checked over the pianist before reaching into one of pockets of her dress. A box of medicine was pulled out before she gestured for Shuichi to leave.

"I would doubt Miss Kaede would have you watch as I undress her," she drawled, to which Shuichi slipped out of his room and near one of his office windows. He cracked it open before pulling a kiseru from his drawer, a gift from a close friend.

The events of today calling for him to find a way to find some sort of control over the situation, if that was harming his health then so be it. The wafting smoke drifted up and out of the cracked window, the pelting rain accompanying Shuichi's musings.

_Rantaro Amami, dropped out of a high school and worked on boats instead. Began to sail around the seas at the age of a seventeen, media caught wind of this and named him a modern explorer. Can speak multiple languages, owns two houses, from a small rural town in the Kansai region. Blood type B. Has strong ties to many travel host shows, survival events, etc_. Shuichi compiled a mental study of his victim, Rantaro Amami. _Known associates: Hope's Peak Academy, Japanese Travel Association, Kaede Akamatsu, Team Danganrompa, and a close friend to fellow Hope's Peak alumni Mahru Koizumi the Infamous Media Photographer and Junk Enoshima the owner of her own fashion industry. ~~Last known public whereabouts, Indonesia. Marooned boat.~~ Found sister in Brazil, Rinka Amami. Went back to hometown to see family, official home address last known in the Kansai region, somewhere in the Osaka  prefecture--_

A knock on a wall alerted Shuichi to Kirumi's entrance back into his office.

“She’ll be fine, only a light fever spurned on by the rain no doubt.” Kirumi smoothed down her dress before taking the kizeru from Shuichi’s hand and dumping the ash and tobacco into the ash tray at his desk, luckily is was still devoid of any cigarette buds. A glare on her face before she bit down on the oncoming lecture about his health.

“It must be bad if you’re smoking again,” she noted sadly. Shuichi gave her a sad smile before taking his pipe back.

“The less you know, the safer you are. Though, I might advise you to stay near the more volatile of crowds you work with, they have a less likelihood of being infiltrated.” Kirumi didn’t ask what Shuichi meant, but understood regardless simply by the severity of his words.

There was a vast conspiracy going on, and it seems Shuichi Saihara, a nobody, was caught in the midst of it. The quest for truth was never an easy or untroubled road, but for once, Shuichi felt like he bit than he could chew...

 

 


	2. Pouring Rain and the First Clue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi has come to terms with the severity of the case that's been handed to him, and begins to act accordingly. However before he can do more, he is accosted by a known associate and is given a grim reminder of the relevance of his case...

Shuichi watched with half lidded eyes hiding behind his hat as Kaede Akamatsu finally stirred from her fevered slumber. The rain's downpour had gotten worse and so Kirumi, with no other clients to serve today, opted to wait in Shuichi's property until it died. Though part of her won't deny that the health and safety of Kaede Akamatsu also weighed heavily on her mind.

"Mmm..." Her eyes, purple they are, looked dazed and confused as she mulled over both Kirumi and Shuichi. The maid acted without hesitation, bringing a glass of water to the woman's lips for her to flush her system. Once the cup was drained a little bit of focus could be seen behind the pianist's eyes.

"Are you alright Miss Akamatsu? Any residual fatigue? Drowsiness? Anemia?" Kirumi's attention to Kaede's health spoke volumes for the Maid's conduct. Despite her drowsiness, Kaede was able to answer the Maid's questions. Deeming her health adequate, the maid stepped back to allow Shuichi to approach the pianist.

"Miss Akamatsu, how much do you remember before you fainted?" Shuichi started.

"...n't call me Miss Akamatsu..." Kaede replied tiredly. Shuichi repressed the grin at the woman insistence of informality. "... Rantaro's is in serious danger. There was another message on the phone."

"Yes, it was a warning for you to not pursue their line of inquiry." A guilty expression clouded Kaede's face, and Shuichi rushed to assuage it. "H-However, it matters not. There's a conspiracy afoot, a deep unsettling thing has occurred."

"I apologize for putting you in this position." There was despair in her voice, no doubt in involving Shuichi in what her problems. However, that only served to galvanize Shuichi even more; knowing that someone came to him to solve a problem was more than enough reason for him to take the case.

"It's alright, it's in the job description of a detective to routinely court danger," Shuichi reasoned. Kirumi cleared her throat audibly and Shuichi sent her a guilty smile. Kaede however fully recognized the appearance of the maid and there was tint of fear in her eyes. "Ah, don't be afraid Miss Kaede, this is Kirumi Tojo, a trusted associate." The maid curtsied much to Kaede's confusion.

"I am but a simple maid, who works under Shuichi-sama," Kirumi introduced. Shuichi rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, to politicians, yakuza, and celebrities. Much less owns her own maid company." 

"Wait a minute, you worked at the party by Byakuya-san,” Kaede noted. She recalled the party she was asked to play for, hosted by one Togami Byakuya. In lieu of waiters and waitresses, expected servers of the host’s own household, instead there a small army of maids and butlers, each immaculately dressed and taught to act in proper high society understanding. It was both phenomenal, and unbelievably terrifying at the time with the level of professionalism they exhibited. At the head of this formation was the head maid, one Kirumi Tojo.

“Yes, indeed I did once primarily serve under Togami-sama before delegating that task over to the original head of the staff, Aloysius Pennyworth, as he recovered from a cold.” Kaede swallowed dryly as she remembered how Kirumi effortlessly directed the young men and woman of the Togami household during the dinner.

“She’s just an associate of mind whom cleans my office from time to time,” Shuichi replied off handedly. Kaede looked dubious, casting her eyes to Kirumi, before turning back to Shuichi.

“W-What’s going to happen?” Her eyes were wide with fear. Shuichi empathized with her deerly; it’s not every day one learns that the friend they thought was simply in troubled turned into a grand conspiracy of some kind. In understanding, Shuichi did his best to give Kaede the best smile he could.

“For now, there’s nothing much we should do in terms of legal action,” Shuichi mused. “Threats like these aren’t made lightly. Did you tell anyone where you would be today?” A slow shake of the head and Shuichi let out a sigh of relief. “Good, the less people who know you’re current whereabouts, the better. I no naught of who they are, but to be able to have their number redacted, they must be have some power equal to that of major corporation.”

Kaede paled and Shuichi realized that perhaps that wasn’t the best thing to say. Comforting people isn’t his strong suit, investigating them, making them uncomfortable, making them angry, that he could do. Make someone feel less scared or less angry, his uncle had tried to impart that knowledge onto him but it could never really stick.

Luckily there was someone nearby who is better at providing comfort than himself.

“It’ll be alright Akamatsu-sama.” Kirumi knelt down to grasp both of Kaede’s hands into her own. Worn cloth pulling Kaede’s attention to the serious faced maid. “Shuichi may not look it, but he’s an incredibly passionate and driven investigator.”

“Hey…”

“Th-Thank you, Miss Tojo,” Kaede smiled tentaviley at the maid, feeling a little bit of tension relieve herself from her shoulders. Shuichi exhaled himself, he was lucky that Kirumi had stuck around, if it was just him, Kaede would no doubt have fallen into some sort of despair at her situation.

“I think it’ll be best if you stay here.” Kaede looked as Shuichi reached into his pocket to extract the shell of her phone. “I’ll hopefully divert… Whoever is trying to find you by taking your phone and depositing it somewhere. In the meantime, use this office as your own. It may not be much, but… Well, it’s not much.” Kaede giggled at Shuichi’s attempts at formality, the simple gesture in an absurd situation making everything seem more surreal.

“Tojo-san, I’m sorry to ask to do this—”

“Do not worry. The company won’t fall apart because I’ve stepped away from management for a few days. It woulnd’t be much of a maid company if it did.” Shuichi nodded before turning back to Kaede.

“Don’t worry Miss Kaede. I’ll find out where Rantaro Amami is, and I’ll bring the ones who wish harm upon you to justice.” Kaede looked at him with wide eyes, eyes that made Shuichi duck his own behind his hat. “I’ll be off then.” Shuichi grabbed his coat  before exiting his bedroom, and then exit his office altogether. This left Kaede and Kirumi alone.

“… There wouldn’t happen to be a piano here, would there be?”

“N—Well, now that I think about it…”

Shuichi was meant to be gone for an hour at the very least. Perhaps two if he wanted to pick up some extra toiletries for his new guest. He had already dropped the phone, a battery inside and on, under a park bench two bus stops out before attempting to make his way back to his apartment.

He made one quick stop at a Don Quixote to buy a burner phone for Kaede. That was his first mistake, because in those ten minutes in the general department store, the downpour seemed to pour down in biblical amounts.

It was that same increased downpour that was his undoing. He was so focused on the pouring rain and trying to not trip over his own feet when a hand had appeared from behind an izakaya’s doors and pulled him inside with a high-pitched shout from the detective at the sudden movement.

"Kampai!" Kaito Momota let out a rancorous shout, to which half of the bar's patrons echoed, before he drank. Once he finished his mug of beer, he let out another satisfied shout to which the other half of the bar echoed. To his side was Shuichi and Korekiyo Shinguji, a professor of anthropology at Tokyu.

Despite the odd ensemble of a Private Detective, an Anthropology Profesor who's specialization lay in folklore, and a Forensic Astronomist and prospecting Astronaut candidate. Well, there's actually a difference in that last place.

"Woo! I'm finally in!" Kaito wrapped both his arms around the necks of both Korekiyo and Shuichi, bringing them close as he laughed. Shuichi, who was now nursing his own cup of Sake, and Korekiyo, who was partaking in a delightfully colorful cocktail called an "Old Fashioned", did their best to not spill their drinks.

"To see a friend finally in the euphoria of accomplishment, and to walk amongst the Heaven's where man's dreams have always saw too..." Korekiyo's words fell on Kaito's deaf ears, but Shuichi understood the gist of his friend's meaning.

Kaito finally on the fast track to going into space, he's in the last leg of his training course. Shuichi thought with a smile. And even more importantly, he's not only going to be one of three Japanese people aboard the International Space Station, but the youngest one in space.

"Congratulations Momota-kun," Shuichi smiled, truly happy for his friend's success. Korekiyo nodded along, the smile in his eyes as he brought the drink to his lips.

It's an odd sight, the three of them. One would think the three would never interact with one another, however all it took was a few shared classes and one conversation between the three of them. Despite each one studying a different major in college, their General Ed classes had them meet up and formed the basis of their friendship. Several other events solidified the bonds between the three and now they made it a habit to meet up every so often; commonly on the subject of status updates of eachother's crafts.

"How's your sister Shinguji-kun?" Shuichi asked.

"She's doing better now, still not leaving the house, but at least she goes out every so often." A fond smile came over Korekiyo's face at the mention of his sister. "She still wishes to thank you for helping me with that particular incident."

"You mean when Shuichi and I busted into that village and beat the crap outta all of the assholes who were hurtin' ya! We'd do it again!" Kaito was referring to a case that Shuichi worked that happened to coincide with a study Korekiyo had about an isolated village far to Japan's north.

It turned out that village had become a host to a rather volatile cult, and were none too happy about the infringement of their privacy with Korekiyo. They had captured and had begun their torture, well more so suffering, as those who harmed Korekiyo did so for the simple act of hurting him.

Shuichi's case involved locating several missing persons in the area, namely a one Chisa Yukizome. Her paramours had come to Shuichi to look for her, though they wanted to keep her identify heavily private in the event that media become involved. He tracked her down to the village where he had also last heard of Korekiyo, where he found his friend in a terrible ritual.

Kaito went alongside him, wanting to "hang out" for a trip to the North with Shuichi, only to bust into the village holding nothing more than a baseball bat and look of pure rage on his face as he saw Korekiyo sitting in a cauldron and being boiled alive.

A quick call to the police, the incapacitation of several cult members via baseball bat, and the freeing of both Korekiyo and the indoctrinated Chisa Yukizome, and the rest is a finished mystery.

"Just wham! 'Guve me back my friend or I'll send you to space!' And then I totally knocked that guy out!" Kaito, slightly tipsy, began to reenact his efforts of fighting off the villagers. It was mostly one sided, seeing as most where not expecting a bat wielding “Luminary of the Stars” disrupting their ritual. The bat was a big selling point. "Thank God I left one of my cousin's old bats in your truck, eh Shuichi."

"Yes, quite lucky," Shuichi muttered, remembering how close all three were all to actually dying. No guns were involved, but a few ceremonial knives had gotten a little too close to the young detective that he’d like. "Hopefully that never happens again."

"What, myself being in the throngs of a ritual or Kaito trying to not bludgeon people?" Korekiyo replied with a smirk. Shuichi rolled his eyes.

"Both! Cause now you two won't have me to save yer sorry asses!" Kaito laughed. "Cause I'm gonna be a spaceman! Flying high through the sk--" Kaito's arm swung and hit the tray of a waitress at the bar. Everyone stopped and stared as the mug shattered.

"Bakabakashii..."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Kaito apologized quickly before helping the waitress clean up his mess. Shuichi only sighed at his friend's antics. This man was going to space, how?

"Saihara-kun, I've been meaning to wonder, but what vexes you?" Korekiyo's question caught Shuichi by surprise. "Your shoulders are tense, and you seem to be looking over your shoulder more often than naught."

"Eh, well, it's just a case," Shuichi mumbled out. Korekiyo nodded, knowing his friend's cases usually dealt much in terms of... Anonymity.

"I see. Well if you ever any issues, I'm always willing to end an ear." A finger trailed near Shuichi's exposed arm, and a cold shiver rushed up his spine to Korekiyo's amusement.

"Oi! Stop that Kiyo, teasing my sidekick ain't right," Kaito warned. He had finished cleaning up his mess with the waitresses before apologizing several times to the waitress and the owner. Then he turned to face the waitress once more. "I'm so sorry once again! That was rude of me."

"Bakabakashii," the woman muttered darkly, but against Kaito's endless optimism, she couldn't do much else but accept his words.

"Kaito, I think it's best if we end the night now. Besides, don't you have training tommorow?"

"Eh? Oh yeah." Kaito's face went white upon seeing the time. With great struggle, he stood and bowed to the owner before paying. Shuichi and Korekiyo followed close behind him, well after he let out a loud cheer that roused the bar's patrons once more before leaving.

"That waitress was cute," Kaito mumbled as he hailed a taxi. "I think her name aas... Maki? Hehe, Maki, Maki, Maki, Makiroll." When it stopped he more or less stumbled while Korekiyo approached the driver and gave him Kaito's adress. The taxi sped off leaving Korekiyo with Shuichi.

"You don't think--" Korekiyo started before Shuichi held up a palm.

"I may be some sort of investigator, Shinguji-kun, but I wouldn't even begin to describe Kaito and romance being ever on the same page." Korekiyo's face relaxed into a smile before he yawned. "I don't know if you should know this or not..."

Shuichi's brow furrowed at Korekiyo's words. Hard enough to not get stressed at Kaede's case, whatever Korekiyo usually noted were always of the more sinister aspects of life that Shuichi wasn't accustomed too.

This time was no exception.

"But recently my colleagues have uncovered up some odd bodies... Children's bodies in Brazil." Shuichi swore under his breathe. He began to breathe deeply in order to ready his heart for whatever else Korekiyo had to tell. "Now normally in this area, it's been known to find children's corpses as it was an area wrought with child mortality during the age of South American exploration and Colonialism, however the bodies we've discovered weren't of that age. They were... Fresh, with marks and wounds of their bodies clear as day despite the rapid decomposition of them. There were several odd bands that were found still attached to their skeletons, nothing I've ever seen or studied about to indicate a ceremony of some kind."

Korekiyo reached into his coat to pull out a folder. Amidst the still pouring rain, Shuichi found it to be glad that there was some sort of sound to muffle their discussion. Paranoia gripped him in a vice, and it wouldn't let up any time soon.

"Thank you. This may have some... Prevalence." To my case; was the unspoken words between the two before Shuichi cleared his throat and moved the folder into his own coat. "Any other anomalies with the body you noticed?"

"Yes. Radiology determines they died no more than three weeks ago."

**_Killing Children! Children!_ **

"What made you come tell me?" Shuichi muttered as his eyes cast a look at every shadow. Korekiyo noted his friend's suspicious and his soft voice lowered even more.

"Normally I wouldn't tell you this. But one of the bodies had an artificial implant and its serial number was still there... It's one of his siblings." Shuichi swore again, and Korekiyo shared his grave sentiments.

"He's not going to like that."

There was silence between the two of them before Korekiyo stood straighter and reached for his umbrella and unfurling it. Rain pattered hard against the canvas covering as the Professor stepped into the rain.

"Safe tidings Shuichi-kun. Hopefully you won't end up in my lab."

"One can only hope, Shinguji-kun." The Professor then walked into the hailstorm of rain as Shuichi kept staring straight ahead. His mind a whirlwind of emotion and theory before he grabbed his own umbrella and began to run back to his office.

The rain completely drenched him, pouring down incessantly now for over a day. Vague memories of that case plaguing his mind as he thought about what transpired. It rained then too.

“Shuichi-kun, is that you?” Shuichi looked up from entering the building’s front desk. The landlord, an older man who treated everyone like his own grandchildren, looked up as Shuichi entered.

“It’s me Tengan-san,” Shuichi replied as he shook himself of all the excess water that accumulated on him. “Just had to step out for a bit.”

“You’ve picked poor weather to do so Shuichi-kun,” Tengan chuckled as he saw the young man do his best to try and get the hair out of his eyes. “I must ask, do you have company over?”

“E-Eh? Yes. Kirumi-san is staying in my office until the rain dies down a little.” Shuichi trusted Tengan, however the older man tended to have a habit of talking about things that normally should be left in confidence. He’s a nice man, if a little too trusting…

“Oh, well tell her that she plays the piano beautifully. I haven’t heard Mozart’s Requiem played like that in years.” Tengan began to laugh himself even as Shuichi walked past him. His mind mentally furrowing at what Tengan meant by what he said. As he climbed the buildings stairs, he tried to understand what Tengan meant.

Did Kirumi and Kaede locate his classical CD’s? No, it wouldn’t make sense for Tegan to say that he heard the music live. A recording? No, that wouldn’t work either. Then Shuichi remembered, remembering one of the “gifts” he received for doing a job, at the same time he stumbled over his own feet and tripped as he reached his floor.

Someone grabbed him before he fell down.

“Ah, thank you.” He said.

“No problem.” The figure then descended the stairs before Shuichi could get a better look at them. Long hair and something flashing in the light was what he saw before he turned back to the door. The sound of a piano being played muffled behind the door.

Opening the door, he found that Kirumi and Kaede had uncovered the small piano that was kept covered and acted as an impromptu table. Kirumi was standing off to the side as Kaede sat at the bench. Now instead of Mozart’s “Requiem”, Beethoven’s “Für Elise” was what danced from Kaede’s fingers. It was one of the earliest memories he had of his parents.

Quietly as he could, Shuichi did his best to hang his coat as the notes fluttered in the air. Eventually he reached the door separating his office from his room and knocked on it. He simply stood there, listening to the rather old and once misused piano finally get its purpose fulfilled.

When the final notes lulled silent, Shuichi knocked on the door. The sound of one-person squealing and another person standing and cursing as their shin bumped into a table was heard from behind the door.

“It’s me, Saihara Shuichi.” He stated before opening the door without a second thought. If he stopped and listened after knocking and announcing, he would have heard Kaede making noises akin to a strangled cat. Namely about the current state of her dress.

“I’ve disposed of the phone, and I also bought you a replacement.” He reached underneath his vest to pulled out the disposable cell phone he bought. When he looked he found Kaede… Wearing one of his more… Unfortunate ensembles of clothing.

“I-It’s not what it looks like!” Kaede stammered, her voice pitched and her face a deep shade of red. Shuichi stared at her much like he would a crime scene.

She sat, half standing with the piano bench making her knees bend as she twisted her torso to look at Shuichi. She was also wearing some of Shuichi’s old clothes. Namely the pinstriped shirt and pants of his high school days. The top obviously not, ahem, fitting well against her’s and so was left unbuttoned.

It… Fit her, rather well. Though with the top seeminly straining against her, Shuichi felt his face flush as he refused to look down.

“It-I-Eh…” Kaede floundered with her words while Shuichi stayed silent and made a silent prayer to his Uncle if he had ever dealt with this sort of situation.

Lucky Kirumi salvaged the situation from degrading into further genre switch.

“Kaede-sama’s clothes had gotten wet earlier, and these were the only clothes that seemed to fit her well enough.” Kirumi’s words allowed Shuichi to look down and at the stone-faced maid. “I sincerely apologize for doing so without asking permission Saihara-sama.”

“N-No, it’s alright. If she needed clothes, she’s welcome to use anything here, considering the situation.” Shuichi tugged the brim of his hat low over his eyes as his gaze tried to find something else to talk about other than his client wearing his high school uniform. “I-I see you found the piano Miss Kaede.”

The woman’s face relaxed as her eyes lit up, both no longer clouded in the red of embarrassment.

“Yes, Kirumi-san helped me find it. Despite it’s misuses,”  
Shuichi laughed guiltily at that statement, “it’s maintained quite well.”

“I heard from outside the office… I’ve never heard you play live before, but it sounds beautiful.” Shuichi couldn’t stop the words coming out of his mouth, and when it finally caught up to him, he immediately shut up. Kaede however didn’t notice his clam up.

“Thank you,” she smiled brightly at Shuichi, making him swallow dryly as he avoided eye contact. “Maybe I can play for you one day.”

“Perhaps one day, but let’s wait until this business is over and done with, yes?” Kaede’s faced returned to looking solemn before Kirumi stood, grabbing both their attentions.

“Well the hours and the rain are dwindling down now, so I’ll take my leave now.” She bowed to Shuichi before turning to face Kaede and grasping the girl’s hands. “If you need anything, just call.” Then Kirumi handed Kaede her business card before walking out. Kaede just stared at the card.

“Prime Ministrations?” Shuichi shrugged, having tried and failed at knowing why Kirumi had that as her maid company’s name.

“Miss Kaede, back to the matter at hand.” Shuichi’s eyes and tone of voice made the room grow cold, and Kaede felt the hairs on her neck prick up as she felt the serioueness of the situation. The original reason why she had been made to rest here.

“I have even more reason to believe that the people that are holding Rantaro Amami are both incredibly dangerous and incredibly well connected.” His hand unconsciously drifted to the folder tucked in his shirt. “Tonight, I’ll see if I can find you better accommodations than my apartment however.”

Shuichi went over to pull flip out a white board. Written previously were the notes of his old case; something about people being replaced by lookalikes that ultimately came to be nothing.

“I need you to tell me everything about Rantaro Amami, and I mean everything…"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo, I actually feel somewhat happy about this chapter. Tell me if there are any grammer and spelling mistakes because I have a habit of missing them. Characters from all Dangan Ronpa media will be here; so expect to see favorites like Naegi or Hinata get their name dropped sometimes. And much like the Dangan Ronpa series; everything written is for a reason... 
> 
> Potentialy mind scarring side note, I have this idea that I'm tossing around in my head that mostly relates to shock and despair. Some people might know what I'm talking about, others will be confused, just look for the flags...


	3. Supect One: The Sister

_His family home is in Osaka. Taro Amami owned a large fishing company and often went out in the water with Rantaro, me, and another friend of ours before he retired..._

 

Shuichi hadn't been back in Osaka in many years. He apparently had been born here, his mother and his father and himself living here prior to being housed by his uncle in Tokyo. The events that transpired to his leaving of Osaka were... Hazy at best. He'd left when he was very young, his father and mother's deaths were the result of the incident.

 

He didn't have the Kansai dialect anymore, having lost that along with any pleasant childhood memories he had of the place. Now, starring at the busy waterways and streets just out of the train station, he wondered how he could forget it.

 

The rain had let up here, allowing the mercantile city's radiance to bloom. Shops were open, people were out and about. They all wouldn't even know a crime had taken place even if it occurred right in front of them.

 

Shuichi brought his hat low over his eyes, the bright weather allowing him to look inconspicuous with his attire. Hands in his pockets, he began walk through the streets trying to find his way to the Amami household.

 

"FIND LOVE IN GOD! ATUA'S LOVE HAS NO BOUNDS!"

 

A religious crier stood off to the side of a busy intersection. His darkened skin and brightly colored dress made him an extremely apparent sight. White markings were etched from his forehead and stretched well into the lowers of his body.

 

Religion had begun to grow more diverse these last few years. Cults in the rural areas, religious contemporaries, when a rash of a bad flu swept through the country nearly all of an entire small island erupted in rapid religious fever as they proclaimed it a sign of the "end of all of whom were not chosen". That same religion was what the crier was speaking about.

 

Perhaps out of pity, Shuichi dropped a few yen coins. However, in doing so, the crier's hands grabbed his in a vice like grip. It took all of Shuichi's discipline to not lash out at the man; either by punching or kicking him, or even more drastic measures.

 

"You're walking a dangerous path boy..." the man's voice growled gutturally in Shuichi's ears as he stared. Many of the crier's teeth were missing, leaving empty gums and revealing a flicking black tongue. Shuichi struggled but the man held fast. "Careful on that path that everyone you're tagging along ain't hanging back to be snatched..."

 

Shuichi finally got himself free when the man's grip slackened and he began to cry once more.

 

"JOIN IN ATUA'S EMBRACE AND FIND YOUR MEANIG! FIND YOUR TRUTH!" Shuichi, shaken by the ordeal, did his best to calm his beating heart. Righting his hat and tie, he made his way back on the path with a slight glance in reflective surfaces to get a glance over his shoulders every now and then.

 

He could breathe a sigh of relief by the time he found a known associate of Amami Ranataro; namely the place where one of his sisters apparently goes for self-defense lessons. An Aikido dojo that has a rather eccentric sensei with even more eccentric rules.

 

"Uyah!" Thump. Shuichi flinched as he saw the large wooden mannequin intent on acting as an uke be thrown with such force that its mechanical limbs flew off. Shuichi recognized that thing as one of those state of the martial arts mannequins too, it's limbs should be that easy to be destroyed. "That is a standard technique usable in many situations. Alright now find partners and--"

 

The Sensei's eyes widened marginally upon their sight of Shuichi. Granted he wasn't the most pleasant to look out, pale to the point of near unhealthiness, and normally quite thin due to his poor diet and habits. However, Shuichi knew it was more than just his physical appearance was what bothered the Sensei.

 

No, it more forward than that.

 

"Chabashira-sensei, what's wrong?" One of the students asked, a girl no more than ten.

 

"N-Nothing, just go practice okay? I'll be with you all in a second. Uraha-chan, you supervise them, okay?"

 

"Hai, Chabashira-sensei!"

 

Shuichi tilted his hat low over his eyes, hoping if he at least stayed far enough way that nothing volatile would happen to him. There was another reason why this Neo-Akido dojo was so special.

 

"What's a degenerate like you doing here?"

 

It only allowed women to participate. With many domestic abuses and defacement of woman over the years, the Neo-Akido dojo acted as both a shelter for woman and childeren and a place to practice this Neo-Akido martial art. Boys over the age of eight are not allowed to enter the actual practice mat. Which is why Shuichi stayed behind the glass divider.

 

Reaching into his coat very slowly, he noted how tense this Tenko Chabashira was, he slowly pulled out his wallet. His Private Detective license exposed to reveal his identity. He kept his eyes low.

 

"I'm Saihara Shuichi, I'm just here to ask que--"

 

"What sort of degenerate comes here to ask questions? You hear to prey on the woman here! Or maybe you're one of those sickos who go after little girls! Peh, the worst of worst."

 

This is not getting anywhere fast... Shuichi held back the urge to sigh and instead grounded his resolution.

 

"I'm here to ask about the status of a friend of a friend." Shuichi quickly spoke again before Chabashira could devolve further on the statement. "Hana Amami? I was told by--"

 

"How do you know that!" Before Shuichi could speak further, he was suddenly on his back as the wind was knocked out of him. His vision went white as he felt the hard wood floor beneath him. Before he could right his bearings, an elbow was poised on his throat, nearly cutting off air flow. He got only paltry sums of air as Chabashira's eyes bore into his with a blazing fury. "How! Talk before Tenko breaks your neck!"

 

"Hrk!" Shuichi's head began to pound from a steadying lack of oxygen. Chabashira pressure on his windpipe was letting up anytime soon, and Shuichi could already feel numbness in his extremities.

 

"Oi, Tenko." A rough voice pierced Shuichi's ears at the same time that Chabashira's elbow no longer pressed on his throat. Shuichi rolled onto his side as a fit of coughing spasmed his body, oxygen now flooding his lungs as he greedily breathed.

 

Why me... Shuichi thought as he finally got his breathing under control. Looking up he saw a monster of a woman holding up Chabashira in one hand, the other was holding some sort of duffel bag over her shoulder.

 

Shuichi definitely knew who this is. Oogami Sakura, world class martial artist, grand master of her family dojo, vagabond, and a single woman currently traveling the world to develop herself after the passing of her rival and lover, Kenshiro, the former World's Best Martial Artist.

 

"Wah, let Tenko go Sakura-senpai!" Tenko cried as she struggled from the larger woman's grip. However, no Aikido, Neo or otherwise, could do much without their feet planted.

 

Oogami instead helped Shuichi up, albeit roughly and before the detective was prepared for. Shuichi stood on unsteady feet at the moment Sakura dropped Tenko onto her own, looking rather cross with the younger woman.

 

"Tenko, I've already told you about harassing any men who come here."

 

"But Tenko has good reason this time!"

 

"What on Earth could that be?"

 

"He's looking for one of my students!"

 

Shuichi regarded their conversation with very slight attention, more confused on making sure his body wasn't too damaged by whatever Chabashira did to him. Throat was fine, lung good, nothing broken, ~~pride wounded,~~ yup everything was healthy.

 

"I'm the Private Detective, cough, Shuichi Saihara," he repeated pulling out his identification once more. "I'm here to look for Amami Hana."

 

"See!" Shuichi ignored Chabashira's shout.

 

"The matter in regard to why is private and my client asked it to not be disclosed, however I will say that the nature of the why is for completely unbiased questions, no stalking, harassing, or malfeasance of any kind." While Chabashira looked repulsed, Oogami looked contemplative.

 

"Tenko, wasn't Amami Hana one of your students who suddenly left you no more than a week ago?" Oogami's question made Tenko flinch and stiffly turn to her senior.

 

"E-Eh, well..." Oogami sighed before looking iback at Shuichi. "I apologize on behalf of Tenko. She's... Tense when it comes to men." Shuichi didn't say anything, the pressure on his neck was still fresh to him. "Tenko answer his questions."

 

"Tenko hasn't seen Amami Hana in over a week. That's all Tenko will say." The woman sniffed stiffly before moving to leave, before a hard grip from Oogami stopped her. "Sakura-senpai!"

 

"Tenko, your actions have brought shame not only to this dojo, but by extension, everyone who follows your system." The woman's words were harsh and Chabashira seemed to shrink before her. The second-hand shame that hit Shuichi was bad enough to lower the brim of his hat. If he doesn't see it, he can pretend this wasn't happening go his face. “You require both enlightenment of the mind, just as well as the body. Saihara-san!”

“H-Hai*!” Shuichi spoke in a startled tone as he turned towards the larger woman. “I-I mean… Yes?” In that instance Shuichi actually slipped into the kansai dialect, the shock and vague comfortability of Osaka hitting him more than he thought.

 

“Do you mind having some help on your case?”

 

“Huh?” Both Chabashira and Shuichi looked flabbergasted at the woman as she set her belongings down. “What do you mean?”

 

“You’re rather frail looking.” Like a bullet shot him, Shuichi felt the impact on his spirit. “You don’t have much muscle definition.” Another shot. “And from the way Tenko was holding you, it seemed you didn’t even have the sense to cover your windpipe before being taken down, very dangerous for someone in your profession.” That was it, that completely Shuichi. Spiritually, he wanted to leave, crawl in a hole, and live out the rest of his days as a turtle or something. Physically, he just moved the brim of his hat lower.

 

“I have a feeling, for both your sakes, that Tenko should accompany you.”

 

“What!”

 

“Nani the fuck!**”

 

Oogami seemed satisfied with her idea, despite the obvious distress of both Shuichi and Chabashira. The two looked at the woman with wide eyes and slack jaws.

 

“Yes, that’s a promising idea. Don’t worry about the dojo Tenko, I’ll oversea the students for the time being while you help Saihara-san. You might as well pick up the dues from the Amami’s anyway, take Saihara-san with you as well.” Before either of them could argue further, Sakura picked them both up by the scruff of their clothes, much like kittens, and tossed them outside of the dojo, what shouldn’t be done with kittens.

 

Both landed hardy on the pavement before Oogami closed the door behind her, dusting her hands as the two stood up. Shuichi straighted his clothes, while Tenko, still wearing her practice uniform, stared wide eyed at where Oogami had been.

 

It had been a long pause before Shuichi tried his luck and attempted to wake her.

 

“C-Chabashira-sa—”

 

He got no further as an inhuman shriek came from the girl’s mouth before she stood. Shuichi recoiled before the girl ran to the door and began to slam her palms on it.

 

“Sakura-senpai, please let Tenko in! Tenko will be a good girl, Tenko promises!” The woman began to tear up in earnestly as she continued to hit the oaken door. It did not budge however, and after a few minutes, Chabashira collapsed at the foot.

“C-Chabashira-san?” Shuichi asked as he carefully approached. He kept a seven-foot distance between them, close enough that his voice could be heard, but far enough from her immediate grasp that he wouldn’t be thrown. She didn’t respond.

 

“Ch-Chabahshira-san, if it means much to you… I didn’t want this outcome either?” Shuichi offered. The woman only stood silently and briskly walked past Shuichi.

 

“Like Tenko cares.” That her answer before walking off, her back stiff and she held her chin up. Shuichi looked scandalized before she called over her shoulder, “come! Tenko doesn’t have all day!”

 

 _… It’s an improvement?_ Shuichi thought with a sad sigh before catching up and maintaining that seven-foot distance between himself and the Neo-Aikido master.

 

It became clear to Shiuchi that Chabashira Tenko, master of the Neo-Aikido school of Aikido, was a master of her craft. Even if she was more diminutive in size to Oogami, only two inches below Shuichi’s own height, she could easily lift a man like he weighed like air. As she did to the purse snatcher that came too close to her, sending him flipping and landing on his back when he came too close to her.

 

“The evil has been vanquished by Tenko!” She proclaimed proudly as she stood over the dazed man, much like a lioness stands over downed prey. Shuichi laughed under his breath, the entire situation feeling surreal.

 

What happened to working alone? He thought with a scoff, knowing the exact reason why he worked alone. His shoulders slumped before he approached the scene, the police had arrived and had begun to take the purse snatcher away as Chabashira looked at him with scorn.

 

“How dare a degenerate like him attempt to do such a vile act! He should have his hand chopped off!” Shiuchi did his best not to stumble and fall from surprise.

 

“For stealing a purse?”

 

“In other countries, the punishment for similar crimes are such.” She stood resolute at the belief.

 

“Those countries are also known for having the highest amount of crime, poverty, and general lack of social order,” Shuichi countered.

 

“But there, the crimes and punishments are equal to all!” Chabashira replied stubbornly, a vein snapped in Shuichi’s mind at the statement. The very nature of proclamation affecting strongly.

 

“ **You got that wrong** ,” he shouted. The intensity of it shocked Chabarashira and broke her posture. “In countries like that, the status of men and women are disproportionate. A man who steals may lose his hand, but a woman who steals would lose her life!”

 

“What!?” Chabashira’s face morphed into one of pure and absolute shock at Shuichi’s words. Her eyes going wide as everything about her went stiff, even the ribbon in her hair. “B-But that can’t be right!”

 

“The country you’re referring too has a long list of many laws which inflict superficial maiming on people for offenses that are comparatively harmless to the crime. Even more so, the rights of the woman are nothing like they are here,” Shuichi stated with a grave voice. Chabashira looked shocked as all the strength left her legs.

 

“N-No way…” Shuichi tried to feel accomplished, but the victory felt hollow in his chest. Especially with the way that Chabashira seemed to be taking the news. Her upbringing might not have been the best, if the calling of all males “degenerates” and altercations where anything to infer by.

 

“… But there are some women’s rights activists working in that country, advocating for the equality of sexes,” Shuichi remembered. Chabashira looked up at him after he spoke. “A-And elsewhere, there are women willing to take bullets to defend their rights.

 

“Haha! Yes, women are standing up to the degenerate devils!” Chabashira cheered. Shuichi just laughed usually, it wasn’t the exact affect he wanted to give to the woman but at least she was willing to move. “Come Tenko needs to see for what reason Amami Hana did not come to Tenko’s dojo!”

 

There jubilance in Chabashira’s voice, an excitement that held true to her character. She was a positive outgoing person with a lot of energy. It was infectious, even to someone who had been on the resceiving end of that energy like Shuichi.

 

That all dissipated from the two of them upon reaching the Amami household in a quiet community in Osaka’s residential district. The door was unlocked, and Chabashira foolishly opened the door as Shuichi began to smell a long-forgotten scent that still lay dominant in his mind.

 

Blood.

 

“HIYAH!” Chabashira screamed as she saw the carnage before her. It stained the walls, the floors, the damn ceiling. The entry way looked like a scene from the gates of Hell, hope abandoned at the front door as Shuichi stared at the scene with a pale face.

 

Chabashira stood rooted to the spot, her knees shaking. Shuichi walked forward, making sure his footsteps didn’t run into the blood. He pulled a pair of latex gloves from inside his coat, pulling them on before his hands went to touch the blood. It was dry, set into the walls and floors.

 

“W-W-What happ—” Chabashira started to speak before Shuichi held up a band. They had yet to explore the entirety of the house, and yet, Shuichi could feel that they weren’t alone. His other hand had pulled out his revolver, the hammer being cocked back. Chabashira’s eyes widened upon seeing the gun in Shuichi’s hand.

 

“Y-You have a gun!” She hissed at the sight. Shuichi didn’t answer, instead he placed a finger to his lips as he cocked the hammer back and held the revolver in both his hands, angled down with his elbows tensed up, ready to spring up and fire at a moment’s notice. “Y-You’re glossing over the f-fact you have a g—”

 

Shuichi raised a hand to silence Chabashira. He heard it, something scuttling on the upper floors.

 

“Stay here, if anyone tries to leave, stop them.” Shuichi didn’t leave much time to argue for the vocal Aikido master, and instead moved further into the house. He knew full well he was infringing in a real crime scene, the amount of blood alone telling that whatever occurred ended violently.

 

Soft oxford shoes easily masked his approach on the stairs. His breathing began to grow heavy in his attempts to calm his speeding heart, the blood in his ears almost deafening him. He approached a door that lead to the second floor.

 

A breath. Two breaths. Three.

 

Shuichi turned the knob and tried to peek through the door. The hinges were well oiled and so the door inched open silently. No lights were on, but Shuichi’s eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness, and he nearly screamed.

 

There were two bodies, or what mangled pieces of meat could be considered as bodies. The skin was rendered from the bareness of the body, revealing blackened muscle or bare bones. Eyes slashed, a long thin red line running from temple to temple. Faces peeled back to show the sinews and meat of the face, twins in gore the two looked. The only real differences, the length of hair which cascaded down the back of one, and stayed short and shaggy for another.

 

Bodies were bare and almost… Mutilated to the point of non-recognizable for face, body, anything using the surface level of identification of the body. What Shuichi did see, was that this was a man, and the other a woman. Muscle and fat structures along the… Exposed chest identified as so.

 

The killing of these two however were almost ritualistic. Both crucified with what looks like scissors piercing the palms of the hands, arms outstretched passed their usual length, their arms were dislocated to do so. Judging by the tearing between the ligaments of the exposed shoulders and arms, it was done pre-mortem.

 

Shuichi felt sick to his stomach, but it wasn’t his first time seeing a murder scene in the flesh. It wasn’t even the worst he’s seen. It was still sickening, regardless.

 

 _This looks like Genocider Syo’s work… But he’s been silent for years…_ Shuichi remembered the case work he reluctantly aided the police with alongside his uncle. Hell, every person with critical thinking and investigative skills were on the Genocider Syo case. The sheer amount of bodies which piled up was... Horrifying. But that was nearly five years ago, he was still in High School.

 

Now, he was faced once more bodies, much like back then, much like--.

 

_Crick._

 

A shadow moved just out of Shuichi’s eyes and burst through the window. The shattering of glass and the appearance of a creature which looked less than human burst was silhouetted against the light. They were running.

 

“Uwah!” That was Chabashira.

 

Shuichi turned on his heel and rushed down the stairs, intent on chasing whomever or whatever was running. If this was Genocider Syo, he wasn’t going to let him escape. Not this time.

“Chabashira!” Shuichi burst through the front door once more, nearly catching the Aikido master in the face before taking off after a figure clad in a bloody white clothed and barefoot. Bloody foot prints trailed behind them, small and almost… Frail looking. “The suspect is getting away!”

 

“W-What?” Chabashira screamed, but quickly reacted and moved to follow Shuichi. Already he was quite a ways away, the suspect even further. However, with Shuichi’s keen eye, he was able to follow them. Eventually the figure tried to climb a fence, and before they could get over it, Shuichi’s hands gripped the large white shirt which covered nearly their entire body. He grabbed them and threw them down, making whoever this was, face him.

 

This suspect was a girl, who’s thin gaunt face and sickly pale face streaked with the red of blood. A single glassy green eye stared up at Shuichi apathetically, the other was carved and in its place, was a single black plain with a red dot in its center, scars tissue coating the flesh around the eye. The girl’s shirt ripped and tore in the place where Shuichi grabbed to reveal the bare and pale flesh of a young girl no older than twelve. A thin flat chest and near translucent skin revealing the girl’s ribs as well as…

 

“Is that a barcode?” Shuichi’s eyes narrowed at that. A barcode it seemed to be, either tattooed—No, she was branded. “What in God’s na—”

 

“Hiyah!”

 

“Wha—Ah!” Shuichi screamed as he was suddenly flipped and flung off the girl, landing on his back and feeling the air escape his lungs once more.

 

“Get off of her!” Chabashira stood over him, legs tensed and hands up with flexed fingers and open palms ready for a fight. Shuichi lay dazed on the ground as Chabashira stood in front of the girl, who was starting to pull herself onto her feet. “What the Hell is wrong with you?”

 

Shuichi decided that enough was enough.

 

“Chabashira! That girl is the suspect!” The anger is his voice even surprised Shuichi, but the sheer volume and sudden emotional change was enough for Chabashira to take notice as the girl tried to climb the fence once again.

 

“W-Wuh?”

 

“Grab her!”

 

Chabashira immediately latched onto the girl’s ankles just as the younger girl’s torso attempted to bend over the fence. With a shout, she pulled the girl up and off the fence and brought her back on the ground. Held in a full nelson hold with her feet dangling off the ground, the young girl tried to break free from Chabashira’s grasp.

 

The girl grew feral, snapping and trying to bite Chabashira hands. Her shirt rode up her body and to Shuichi’s shock, saw several black tattoo like lines run up the sides of her body. He knew however that tattoos didn’t pull on the skin like that. Those were brands. And upon noting her neck, Shuichi nearly shouted.

 

“You’re Rinka Amami!”

 

Almost all at once, the girl stopped trying to break free and Chabashira let her go. She flopped as if she was boneless, eyes glazed over as if she died. Shuichi immediately pressed her fingers to her neck, sighing with relief that there was still a pulse, yet looked at the girl with a look of intense worry.

 

“What on Earth happened to her…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * = Intially the idea for the Kansai accent I was thinking of was meant to be like a rough cockney accent, and Shuichi was meant to lapse back into it. However... Yes is pretty universal so I just put it in Japanese
> 
> ** = Meh, this was purely all my own idea. I still don't know where it's from though.
> 
> Tell me if there are any grammer mistakes, cause my eyes tend to lapse over them!

**Author's Note:**

> Lame ending is lame, eh~~ Anyway, here's a Danganronpa fanfic that came out of nowhere for most people. Shoutout to the lovely KlonoaDreams for being an inspiration for this future mess that Shuichi is in! 
> 
> Everyone's older, there are no "Ultimate Talent" titles, and I'll somehow incorprate casts of all three games eventually. And I'm going back to my roots of gore, mystery, and suspense. Beware; it's about to get dark from here...


End file.
